Lecture 04 Patients who have Alzheimer’s disease tend to have low levels of acetylcholine; interference with this neurotransmitter can cause paralysis. Agonist – Drugs that mimic Neurotransmitter Antagonist – Blocks receptors Drugs that seem to affect our behavior and cognitive processes do so primarily by changing synaptic transmission. Cocaine blocks the reuptake of the neurotransmitter Dopamine. Schizophrenics have a naturally high level of dopamine. Heroin/Morphine – Agonists at endogenous opioid receptors. Naltrexone – Antagonist at endogenous opioid receptors (used to treat heroin overdoses) Opioids are involved in shutting down your gastrointestinal system. Central Nervous system is made up of your brain and spinal cord. Must be a synapse. Spinal cord serves two major roles: Carries information from the periphery to the brain. Information moving towards higher levels is sensory information. Serves as a conduit for motor information from the brain to the peripherals. Peripheral Nervous System – Somatic division (voluntary muscle activation) and autonomic division. Connects voluntary and involuntary muscles with central nervous system. Somatic connects central

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